Pumpkin Cake Balls (two ways)
It’s that time of year where pumpkin is in everything. And I get it, pumpkin is delicious! One of my favorite ways to eat it is in bread or cake. These cake balls combine that delicious moist pumpkin cake with sweet frosting surrounded by a chocolate candy shell. Here I provide two recipes that use the same cake base - pumpkin chocolate chip with chocolate coating and pumpkin cheesecake with white chocolate coating. Choose your favorite or make both!
Make the Pumpkin Cake Base
The base of these cake balls is lightly spiced so the pumpkin flavor really shines. If you prefer a stronger pumpkin spice flavor, you will likely want to up the amount of spices.
To make the cake, start by whisking together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together vegetable oil and sugars until smooth. Add eggs, pumpkin puree, and vanilla and whisk until fully combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk or stir until just combined.
Transfer the batter to a greased 9 inch cake pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350°F for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out free of crumbs. Place on a wire rack an allow the cake to fully cool in the pan.
Make the Frosting
Now it’s time to choose your own adventure! Follow the instructions for your preferred frosting flavor below.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Frosting:
In a large bowl using a stand or handheld mixer, beat softened butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin puree and vanilla extract and mix until combined (it may appear lumpy, that's ok). Add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until fully combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting:
In a large bowl using a stand or handheld mixer, beat softened cream cheese and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until fully combined. Fold in the chopped pecans (optional).
Assemble the Cake Balls
Once the cake is cool, remove it from the pan and crumble it into the bowl of frosting. Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer, mix the cake and frosting together on medium speed until the cake is fully mixed into the frosting and the texture is mostly uniform. Spoon out 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of the cake mixture and roll into balls. Place the cake balls on a baking sheet and freeze for at least 30 minutes.
Coat and Decorate
I used candy melts to coat the cake balls - dark chocolate for the pumpkin chocolate chip variety and white chocolate for the pumpkin cheesecake variety. I highly recommend using candy melts instead of traditional baking chocolate unless you have experience tempering and working with chocolate.
Melt the candy melts according to the package instructions. Remove the cake balls from the freezer and roll one at a time in the melted chocolate and place on a wire rack or parchment paper. Transfer to the refrigerator to allow the chocolate candy coating to set.
You can add some festive decoration by dyeing some white candy melts and drizzling that on top.
Store cake balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 3 months. Thawing is not necessary as the cake interior does not freeze solid.
Pumpkin Cake Balls (two ways)
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 7.5 oz (half a can) pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
- chocolate candy melts
- optional: white chocolate candy melts and food coloring
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
- white chocolate candy melts
- food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 inch springform pan or cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil and sugars until smooth.
- Add the eggs, pumpkin puree, and vanilla and whisk until fully combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk or stir until just combined.
- Pour the batter into your prepared cake and smooth it out so it is an even thickness. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Place on a wire rack an allow the cake to fully cool in the pan.
- Prepare the pumpkin chocolate chip frosting: In a large bowl using a stand or handheld mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract and mix until combined (it may appear lumpy, that's ok). Add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until fully combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Assemble the cake balls: Once the cake is cool, remove it from the pan and crumble it into the bowl of frosting. Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer, mix the cake and frosting together on medium speed until the cake is fully mixed into the frosting and the texture is mostly uniform. Spoon out 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of the cake mixture and roll into balls. Place the cake balls on a baking sheet and freeze for at least 30 minutes.
- Coat the cake balls: Melt the chocolate candy melts according to the package instructions. Remove the cake balls from the freezer and roll one at a time in the melted chocolate and place on a wire rack or parchment paper. Transfer to the refrigerator to allow the chocolate candy coating to set.
- Optional decoration: To add some color, melt white chocolate candy melts and mix in food coloring to achieve the desired color. Drizzle on the cake balls.
- Prepare the cream cheese frosting: In a large bowl using a stand or handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until fully combined. Fold in the chopped pecans if using.
- Assemble the cake balls: Once the cake is cool, remove it from the pan and crumble it into the bowl of frosting. Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer, mix the cake and frosting together on medium speed until the cake is fully mixed into the frosting and the texture is mostly uniform. Spoon out 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of the cake mixture and roll into balls. Place the cake balls on a baking sheet and freeze for at least 30 minutes.
- Coat the cake balls: Melt the white chocolate candy melts according to the package instructions. Remove the cake balls from the freezer and roll one at a time in the melted chocolate and place on a wire rack or parchment paper. Transfer to the refrigerator to allow the chocolate candy coating to set.
- Optional decoration: To add some color, melt white chocolate candy melts and mix in food coloring to achieve the desired color. Drizzle on the cake balls.
Notes
Storage Instructions: Store cake balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 3 months. Thawing is not necessary.
